FSB Thwarts Militant Attacks in Dagestan

Russia's FSB thwarted a series of planned militant attacks in Dagestan targeting police and an Orthodox church. They arrested three Russian citizens linked to international terrorism and seized explosive devices. Recent months have seen a resurgence of Islamist violence in the North Caucasus, resulting in multiple deadly attacks.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on Saturday that it had successfully thwarted a series of planned militant attacks in the southern region of Dagestan. According to state news agency RIA, these planned attacks were aimed at police forces and an Orthodox Christian church.

The FSB reported the arrest of three Russian citizens in the city of Kaspiysk, identifying them as members of an international terrorist organization, though the agency did not disclose the group's name. Investigators also seized homemade explosive devices and other weapons.

Islamist violence has resurged in recent months in the North Caucasus, a region that experienced significant conflicts in the 1990s and 2000s stemming from Chechnya. Last month, simultaneous attacks on churches, synagogues, and police checkpoints in two cities resulted in 22 deaths. In March, an attack claimed by Islamic State killed 145 people at a concert hall on Moscow's outskirts. Russian authorities have arrested the suspected gunmen and several alleged accomplices, primarily citizens of Tajikistan, who are now awaiting trial.

(With inputs from agencies.)